Recommendations for sustainable and affordable residency programs: align with LEA strategy, engage system leaders, dedicate sustainability roles, and run affordability analyses¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · 1 claim (1 against) · 1 study (1 associational), q2 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 1 claim rests on one study

Description¶

In response to evaluation findings, WestEd's team generated recommendations for state leadership and for residency programs. Policy recommendations include building a statewide sustainability-focused vision, guidance and technical assistance on nongrant funding, and clear guidance on financial aid for residents. Programmatic recommendations urge residencies to "Align the residency program with the strategic vision and goals of the LEA partner from the start," engage system-level leaders (HR, instruction, business, unions, principals), incorporate dedicated liaison roles for sustainability planning and relationship building, and "Prioritize affordability for residents from diverse backgrounds and income levels," including an affordability analysis of the gap between supports received and costs incurred.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Intensive collaboration with LEA and IHE partners to position programs for long-term funding sources
• Dedicated support roles with paid, protected time for sustainability planning and partnership building
• Balance coherent statewide guidance with technical assistance tailored to programs in different contexts and stages

Constraints¶

• The brief cautions that the challenges surfaced reflect unique launch conditions — short design timelines, the COVID-19 pandemic, and a 5 percent cap on administrative grant spending — so programs should expect to navigate similar barriers as they design and scale

Target Learners¶

• Teacher residency candidates from diverse backgrounds and income levels, with a focus on residents of color and residents from local communities

Target Learning Goals¶

• Access to an affordable, supportive, rigorous pathway into teaching; retention of well-prepared teachers in high-need credential areas

Affordances¶

• Teacher Residency Model Lea Ihe Partnership

Claims¶

• Only 6 of 24 TRGP-participating IHEs enrolled at least 20 TRGP-funded residents in 2022-23, below the cohort size experts suggest is needed for sustainable, affordable programs [-W]

Related Strategies¶

• Sustain teacher residencies through blended federal and state funding, including TQP grants, ESSER funds, and dedicated state investments
• Sustain and expand residency pathways through maintained state grant funding, financial aid, apprenticeship structures, and technical assistance
• Design educator preparation around pedagogical alignment, tightly linked clinical experiences, and a developmental approach to educator learning
• State actions to strengthen and sustain a funded residency pathway: clarify goals, upgrade data systems, adjust grant parameters, offer transition grants, and pair new LEAs with experienced IHEs
• Clinical director as LEA–IHE boundary-spanner managing each partnership
• Use three continuous improvement mechanisms: annual Advisory Council meetings, program surveys, and weekly leadership meetings

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Hirschboeck, K., Eiler White, M., Brannegan, A., & Reade, F. (2022). Teacher residency programs in California: Financial sustainability challenges and opportunities. WestEd. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED620723